Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
New York : W.W. Norton, c2007.
Description
The first volume in a new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Historian Bauer provides both sweeping scope and attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. Dozens of maps provide a geography of great events, while timelines give the reader an ongoing sense of the passage of years and cultural interconnection. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath"--literature, epic traditions, private letters and accounts--to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled. The result is a tapestry of human behavior from which we may draw conclusions about the direction of world events and the causes behind them.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Garp83
I started a book last weekend that I will deliberately leave unfinished.
I was really looking forward to [The History of the Ancient World] by Susan Wise Bauer because I was in the mood for a strong overview to fill in the gaps I may have accumulated from my tendency to focus upon specific
In less than 50 pages, Bauer really let me down. She is a compelling writer, but she tends to present ideas and concepts that are open to interpretation as established fact. Moreover, she has a strong religious bias that was immediately apparent.
Most prominently with regard to the latter, she discusses the prevalence of flood myths in varied cultures (including the Americas!) and infers that these must hearken back to a central single event. I have never heard a modern historian suggest such a thing!
Summing up the Near East flood myths – which may very well echo a shared experience of geography – she dismisses the recent Ryan-Pittman hypothesis (as supported to some degree by the Robert Ballard expeditions) that traces this back to the massive inundation that turned the freshwater Euxine Lake into the brackish salt water Black Sea by incorrectly stating that the flood of Ryan-Pittman’s theory dates to 7000 BC (putting it too early in the chronology), which it does not (I own & read the book and the flood they discuss occurred in 5600 BC ). After drawing links between the Mesopotamian and Mayan flood stories in a kind of Erik van Danikan television style, she firmly concludes: “Surely it is not a coincidence that the creation stories of so many countries begin with chaotic waters which must recede so that man can begin his existence on dry land.” This is followed by a weird psychological discussion of our ongoing fascination with inundation that even cites a shared obsession for the Titanic (Ballard redux)!
I did a little Google research on her bio and learned that along with many impressive degrees she has a Masters in Divinity and is of a pronounced religious bent. Now there are many, many religious people who are also outstanding historians (no I don’t mean Paul Johnson!), but I was appalled to see Bauer’s own religious views so dominate what purports to be history. While some reviewers have taken her to task for this, I found no one else who pointed to this ridiculous flood dissertation and its egregious error on Ryan-Pittman’s work . In fact, I was surprised that most reviewers awarded her high marks over all.
Of course I have, as I said, only read 50 pages of her book, but based upon what I have encountered so far, I have read quite enough. I would be most concerned for those without a background in history who would read this book and take her assertions for established fact.
I should point out that on the same day I also began reading David Anthony’s [The Horse, the Wheel and Language], and Anthony introduces a somewhat controversial theory of his own while taking great care – as an historian must – to present the real evidence on the ground and to point out where this fits his thesis. He does not announce out of hand that his thesis is the sound one and dismiss all others as if they hold no merit. I expect I will read the Anthony book to completion.
(Footnotes that don't paste here:
1.note that she announces that she will use BC & AD rather than the current common convention of BCE and CE, because “using BCE while still reckoning from Christ’s birth seems, to me, fairly pointless”
2. Ryan-Pittman is only a theory, as such, albeit an attractive one and I don’t mean it would acceptable to adopt it as “fact,” only that her dismissal is based upon a misreading of it)
I was really looking forward to [The History of the Ancient World] by Susan Wise Bauer because I was in the mood for a strong overview to fill in the gaps I may have accumulated from my tendency to focus upon specific
Show More
historical periods. In less than 50 pages, Bauer really let me down. She is a compelling writer, but she tends to present ideas and concepts that are open to interpretation as established fact. Moreover, she has a strong religious bias that was immediately apparent.
Most prominently with regard to the latter, she discusses the prevalence of flood myths in varied cultures (including the Americas!) and infers that these must hearken back to a central single event. I have never heard a modern historian suggest such a thing!
Summing up the Near East flood myths – which may very well echo a shared experience of geography – she dismisses the recent Ryan-Pittman hypothesis (as supported to some degree by the Robert Ballard expeditions) that traces this back to the massive inundation that turned the freshwater Euxine Lake into the brackish salt water Black Sea by incorrectly stating that the flood of Ryan-Pittman’s theory dates to 7000 BC (putting it too early in the chronology), which it does not (I own & read the book and the flood they discuss occurred in 5600 BC ). After drawing links between the Mesopotamian and Mayan flood stories in a kind of Erik van Danikan television style, she firmly concludes: “Surely it is not a coincidence that the creation stories of so many countries begin with chaotic waters which must recede so that man can begin his existence on dry land.” This is followed by a weird psychological discussion of our ongoing fascination with inundation that even cites a shared obsession for the Titanic (Ballard redux)!
I did a little Google research on her bio and learned that along with many impressive degrees she has a Masters in Divinity and is of a pronounced religious bent. Now there are many, many religious people who are also outstanding historians (no I don’t mean Paul Johnson!), but I was appalled to see Bauer’s own religious views so dominate what purports to be history. While some reviewers have taken her to task for this, I found no one else who pointed to this ridiculous flood dissertation and its egregious error on Ryan-Pittman’s work . In fact, I was surprised that most reviewers awarded her high marks over all.
Of course I have, as I said, only read 50 pages of her book, but based upon what I have encountered so far, I have read quite enough. I would be most concerned for those without a background in history who would read this book and take her assertions for established fact.
I should point out that on the same day I also began reading David Anthony’s [The Horse, the Wheel and Language], and Anthony introduces a somewhat controversial theory of his own while taking great care – as an historian must – to present the real evidence on the ground and to point out where this fits his thesis. He does not announce out of hand that his thesis is the sound one and dismiss all others as if they hold no merit. I expect I will read the Anthony book to completion.
(Footnotes that don't paste here:
1.note that she announces that she will use BC & AD rather than the current common convention of BCE and CE, because “using BCE while still reckoning from Christ’s birth seems, to me, fairly pointless”
2. Ryan-Pittman is only a theory, as such, albeit an attractive one and I don’t mean it would acceptable to adopt it as “fact,” only that her dismissal is based upon a misreading of it)
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LibraryThing member USMC0811
This book, covering human history from its origins to Constantine the Great, provides a very basic, easy-to-understand political history of many ancient nations including Babylon, Assyria, Israel, Greece, Rome, India, China, and Persia. It does not go very in-depth concerning art or culture, being
On a side note, the only bad thing I can say about this book is that due to the expansive nature of its subject, there is a lot of jumping around; you might finish a chapter on Greece, and then read a chapter on China, India, and Rome before getting to another Greek chapter, resulting in some page-flipping to re-familiarize yourself to the political situation which the last Greek chapter left off at.
Despite this (minor) problem, I'd still recommend this book to anyone.
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restricted to the various kings and rulers, the wars they fought, and other related topics, giving the occasional nod to a philosopher or other non-political figure. However, what this book does provide is basic knowledge of the groups of people living in ancient times, allowing the reader to know what's going on when he or she moves on to more in-depth reading on a specific ancient nation. This is definitely the first book any history enthusiast should read.On a side note, the only bad thing I can say about this book is that due to the expansive nature of its subject, there is a lot of jumping around; you might finish a chapter on Greece, and then read a chapter on China, India, and Rome before getting to another Greek chapter, resulting in some page-flipping to re-familiarize yourself to the political situation which the last Greek chapter left off at.
Despite this (minor) problem, I'd still recommend this book to anyone.
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LibraryThing member Neutiquam_Erro
Bauer bites off a very large mouthful but manages to digest it in a way that is both readable and entertaining. With "The History of the Ancient World" she delivers on her promise to deal with history based on written sources, leaving the dusty archaeological details to others. This approach can be
The play's the thing, and not the facts. And this is what makes this book so good. Once you realize you are being told a story, you stop worrying and let Bauer sweep you away. From the ancient glory of Sumeria, through the incestuous Dynasties of Egypt (did you know Ramses II had his mummy's nose packed with peppercorns), the brutal Assyrians, the mysteries of the Phoenicians, Alexander the Great, and the rise of a small town named Rome, it is all told with verve, biting wit and an eye for the picaresque detail.
While this is definitely not an academic work, its vast scope and the way it follows a narrative through time make it an exciting and interesting read - something you will enjoy as someone new to this time period, or as an scholar who wants something that ties together all that academic material you have tried to digest over the years. Of course, experts will quibble about this detail or that. There are probably large swathes of material here that would be contested by serious historians. But I would suggest relaxing, sitting back, putting up your feet and enjoying this book as the rich, old, flowing tale that it is. You can always ferret out the details later.
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a little disconcerting if you are used to reading dry academic histories. Particularly in the study of the ancient middle east, the usual academic history of Egypt, Sumeria and the Assyrians tends to be heavy on pottery shards and light on plot. Having just read Trevor Bryce's Kingdom of the Hittites, in which an entire civilization is reconstructed from partial inscriptions, archaeological sites and guess work - a difficult task indeed - I was at first disturbed by Bauer's smooth flowing, light touch. She dwells almost exclusively on the story and avoided inconvenient archaeological facts and scholarly debates. At times the history seemed to be more an interpretation of mythology or a retelling of the grand story of human civilization, rather than an objective investigation of historical truth. But, of course, this seems to be what was intended here. In spite of the excellent use of maps (possibly the simplest and yet most comprehensive example I have ever seen - no place name mentioned in the text is left off of a map found nearby), and the extensive cited works section, this book is all about drama.The play's the thing, and not the facts. And this is what makes this book so good. Once you realize you are being told a story, you stop worrying and let Bauer sweep you away. From the ancient glory of Sumeria, through the incestuous Dynasties of Egypt (did you know Ramses II had his mummy's nose packed with peppercorns), the brutal Assyrians, the mysteries of the Phoenicians, Alexander the Great, and the rise of a small town named Rome, it is all told with verve, biting wit and an eye for the picaresque detail.
While this is definitely not an academic work, its vast scope and the way it follows a narrative through time make it an exciting and interesting read - something you will enjoy as someone new to this time period, or as an scholar who wants something that ties together all that academic material you have tried to digest over the years. Of course, experts will quibble about this detail or that. There are probably large swathes of material here that would be contested by serious historians. But I would suggest relaxing, sitting back, putting up your feet and enjoying this book as the rich, old, flowing tale that it is. You can always ferret out the details later.
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LibraryThing member Joanne53
This book brings one from the ancient Sumerians to the rise of the Emperor Constantine and a Christian Roman Empire. It is full of civilizations that are short lived and very difficult to follow, but Susan Wise Bauer moves the story along with short chapters covering short periods of time that
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keeps it a bit more manageable. Her tongue-in-cheek humor also helps one understand peoples real motives and can make one laugh out loud. She lays out her story so that one is following parallel civilizations in the same time frame which in many ways emphasizes their similarities rather than their differences. Show Less
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
In my Read Your Library quest for the beginnings of history, this book was a perfect find. Taking you from the earliest beginnings of civilization to the Fall of Rome, Bauer creates a comprehensive account of human history. This was the book I should have started with, had I known about it before
This book is overflowing with information, so much so that I had to take a small break from reading it in the middle, finding it too much to read through start to finish. If it hadn't been a library book, now well overdue, I probably would have just stopped after each major section and read a few smaller books in between, working my way through history even slower than I did. When I buy a copy of this one, which I plan to do, that's probably the way I'll choose to handle the second read-through.
Definitely a fascinating read, and covers so much more than any basic World History text seems to. This one is perfect for anyone looking to expand their own understanding of history without any major religious or political slant. Bauer is sure to include myth and religion, but separate the solid fact from the unverified accepted version, making for a truly engaging look at the past.
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it was mentioned in another Read Your Library selection.This book is overflowing with information, so much so that I had to take a small break from reading it in the middle, finding it too much to read through start to finish. If it hadn't been a library book, now well overdue, I probably would have just stopped after each major section and read a few smaller books in between, working my way through history even slower than I did. When I buy a copy of this one, which I plan to do, that's probably the way I'll choose to handle the second read-through.
Definitely a fascinating read, and covers so much more than any basic World History text seems to. This one is perfect for anyone looking to expand their own understanding of history without any major religious or political slant. Bauer is sure to include myth and religion, but separate the solid fact from the unverified accepted version, making for a truly engaging look at the past.
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LibraryThing member JHemlock
Just finished this entire series. I hear lots of negativity regarding this volume and its two siblings.....Nothing but war, depressing, war, war, war. Well folks.........this is what history is made of. This is what shaped the world we live in. What makes the books so brilliant is the first quarter
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of the first book. Mrs. Bauer starts with a dot on the map of known civilization and by the time you are done with the third book the world is still in chaos. From the cloudy shores of England to the foggy banks of Japan with Samurai lurking in the shadows. This trilogy is incredible. Would like to see another volume. The third was supposed to be on the renaissance but only covered the events leading up to it. I highly recommend reading Thomas Asbridge's books on the Crusades in between the second and third volume of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member drneutron
I love the format of this book - short chapters focusing on a particular event or short period for a particular region interleaved with chapters on other regions. The parallel development really gives a sense of the organic nature of the development of human civilization. Each chapter is ended with
Bauer's style makes these stories come alive, and adds a sense of reality often missing in histories that focus on big events or trends. I'm looking forward to reading the other volumes in the series.
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a timeline relating the events discussed in the chapter to other chapters. These really help keep the reader from losing the forest for the trees.Bauer's style makes these stories come alive, and adds a sense of reality often missing in histories that focus on big events or trends. I'm looking forward to reading the other volumes in the series.
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LibraryThing member billiecat
In the run-up to the Iraq War, I read several articles discussing the historical treasures at risk if the war went forward. Reading these, I realized that for a reasonably well-educated person I had very little understanding of ancient history. Since then I have, in addition to re-reading the
Bauer's book covers a lot of ground in fair but not overwhelming detail. It does a good job of giving the reader a basic outline of history, with the important dates and touchstones, as well as illuminating the vast amount of information that is simply unknown and lost. For this, it gets an easy three and a half stars.
It fails to get four or five stars, however, for two reasons. First, the book totally ignores as outside its scope artistic and social developments such as the flowering of Greek culture or the art of Egypt. Anyone who is interested can certainly get works that fill this gap, of course, but it seems that this is a subject that should have had more treatment.
Second, the book suffers from a serious editing problem. In addition to sloppy grammar errors that were missed and the odd misspelling, occasional factual errors snuck through the editing process. At one point, Bauer states that the king of Assyria was "the undisputed king of Babylon" immediately after stating that Babylon was in rebellion. Obviously she meant Assyria, but just as obviously the reader shouldn't have to figure that out. Subsequent editions of this book will undoubtedly sort most of that out, so if you are looking at buying the second edition or later, this caution may no longer apply.
All in all, a valuable book for the casual reader.
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college textbook I obviously had not paid enough attention to, read a number of popular histories about ancient subjects. This is one of them.Bauer's book covers a lot of ground in fair but not overwhelming detail. It does a good job of giving the reader a basic outline of history, with the important dates and touchstones, as well as illuminating the vast amount of information that is simply unknown and lost. For this, it gets an easy three and a half stars.
It fails to get four or five stars, however, for two reasons. First, the book totally ignores as outside its scope artistic and social developments such as the flowering of Greek culture or the art of Egypt. Anyone who is interested can certainly get works that fill this gap, of course, but it seems that this is a subject that should have had more treatment.
Second, the book suffers from a serious editing problem. In addition to sloppy grammar errors that were missed and the odd misspelling, occasional factual errors snuck through the editing process. At one point, Bauer states that the king of Assyria was "the undisputed king of Babylon" immediately after stating that Babylon was in rebellion. Obviously she meant Assyria, but just as obviously the reader shouldn't have to figure that out. Subsequent editions of this book will undoubtedly sort most of that out, so if you are looking at buying the second edition or later, this caution may no longer apply.
All in all, a valuable book for the casual reader.
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LibraryThing member bingereader
An excellent work that makes ancient history accessable to the lay reader. I look forward to a continuation of what is supposedly a series of books on history.
LibraryThing member jaygheiser
Enjoyable and informative book. Middle Eastern, Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Roman civilizations presented and mapped in parallel
LibraryThing member nancypantslady
Only read through the Preface so far but I already love it based on that alone!
LibraryThing member AmbitiousLemon
While a good review of ancient history, it is jarring how the author critically analyses the myths of dead religions for kernels of truth, but takes the myths of extant religions at face value.
LibraryThing member Proustitutes
I'm around 200 pages into this book and I'm debating whether or not to keep reading. YES, her writing style is good. YES, the stories that she's telling are interesting.
My problem is that the things that she have said so far are too surface to strike me as interesting, and too in-depth to show
My problem is that the things that she have said so far are too surface to strike me as interesting, and too in-depth to show
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real connections over time (without taking thousands of pages of my time). Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
Susan Wise Bauer writes well, but this overview of ancient history is depressing. She sticks to history, that is written accounts, so people who didn't have the ability to write, or didn't sufficiently annoy someone who did, don't get much mention. Those who do make it into this account of history
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lived in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, India, and Asia. What's depressing (at least to me) is that in the roughly 4,000 years, and across all the real estate covered by the book, people don't seem to have made much progress. The big achievement was writing. After that what they did mostly was wage war and engage in brutal internal squabbles for power. It's as if the entire human species (with very few exceptions) was infected with a virus that made them paranoid sociopaths. Maybe only the leaders were truly insane, but pretty much every king, general, or anyone else who obtained a position of power did so through deception, betrayal, and murder; and then they went about enslaving, maiming, and killing people ostensibly ruled by other psychopaths and stealing whatever they had. If you think modern politics are nasty or that the world today is a violent place, read this book. We've go it good. Show Less
LibraryThing member ffortsa
I am finally finished with this incredibly detailed recital of the ancient world, with all its mayhem. Billed as covering the facts from 'the earliest accounts' to the fall of Rome, it tells with relentless detail the stories of war, fratricide, patricide, matricide, and all matter of disaster as
The audio voice is plummy, which is sufficiently soporific that I could only really listen when I was walking or traveling. Once the narrative got to the era reflected in stories of Egypt, Palestine, Greece and Rome, where I have more grounding, the names stopped blurring together. I suspect (or hope) the printed version has maps which might aid the reader - once in a while I resorted to Google and Wikipedia to show me the geography discussed.
All in all, a traditional overview of inferred and recorded time in Asia, Europe and North Africa.
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people chased after power. Bauer moves from Mesopotamia (and myths thereof) to China, back to the Mediterranean, over and over to keep us on an approximately even timeline, but the stories are depressingly the same. I am sure there is more to plumb in the history of our species than this lust for control, but it's not reflected here.The audio voice is plummy, which is sufficiently soporific that I could only really listen when I was walking or traveling. Once the narrative got to the era reflected in stories of Egypt, Palestine, Greece and Rome, where I have more grounding, the names stopped blurring together. I suspect (or hope) the printed version has maps which might aid the reader - once in a while I resorted to Google and Wikipedia to show me the geography discussed.
All in all, a traditional overview of inferred and recorded time in Asia, Europe and North Africa.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
xxvii, 868 p.; 25 cm
ISBN
9780393059748
Local notes
FB